Life's Limit
by Misora-Massacre
Summary: Someone's out to get Beyond Birthday. He must prepare himself to defeat this person and try his best to get through a complicated relationship with FBI agent Naomi Misora. A prequel to the story "BB Revived".
1. Prologue

Rain was pouring down the windows of an old two-story house in England. In the house was utter silence. All except for the slow, steady breathing of a girl. She was about seventeen years old and had long, sleek black hair that went up to her shoulders. The room was dark with light only from the moon that showed through the shattered window. There was no furniture in any of the rooms. The girl was silent while she was lying in the middle of one room, staring intently at an hourglass. The door slowly creeked open and the girl's eyes slowly looked over, head still facing the hourglass.

She saw a black cat that she had kept ever since she found it when she was a little girl come in with something in it's mouth. " Oh, hello Kitten," she greeted tirely. She never really thought of a real name for the cat, so she just called it Kitten. " Did you find something today?" Kitten walked next to her and dropped a bloody dead mouse from it's mouth. The grusome sight of the creature did not make the teen flinch; she was used to blood. " That's very nice Kitten," she said, then continued to stare at the hourglass.

" Kitten?" she said. " Do you see this hourglass? The sand in it keeps on going down and down, but never up. No matter what you do, the sand could only go down. Do you know what else goes down? Numbers." The cat walked over to the other side of the hourglass and stared at it as well. " Not ordinary numbers, though." the girl explained. " Those keep on going up. No, I'm talking about the numbers above people's heads. They keep on lowering and lowering until the numbers are gone, and so is the life of the person. Just like an hourglass."

Lightning showed through the window. " You do know that every one and everything on this planet must die eventually, don't you? It's very sad at first, and people never seem to accept the fact that they will. Instead, they've made up something that would give them a false hope; immortality. As long as they believe in immortals, they will believe that not everyone has to die. It's rather stupid, really, don't you think, Kitten?" The cat just stared at the sand that continued to pour down. The girl sighed.

" The people who don't believe in death, they are stupid as well. That is why I always see their numbers lower rather quickly. Since I am the only person who can teach them that death is real, I have to be the one responsible to kill them. It's not really a burden. I actually enjoy it quite much. But it gets boring after a while." The girl stared out the window with her deep, black eyes that seemed to have a tint of red in them.

" Do you know what else Kitten?" she asked. The cat made a muffled "meow" as it went over and rubbed its head on the girl hand, gesturing for her to scratch it. The girl did so and continued to stare. " There is one man that I worry about. I don't believe in immortals, of course, but something tells me that it's going to be difficult for him to die. Do you know why? It's because he doesn't have any numbers. I can't see anything, and I'm afraid he might not die. I can't allow that to happen. He has to die in order for the others that surround him to believe in death."

She heard crying outside her window and went to see what the cause of it was. A woman was standing in the middle of the empty streets without an umbrella, crying. The girl stared at the woman with wary eyes until she grabbed a knife from her skirt pocket and threw it at the woman's head. Immediately, the crying stopped. The girl shook he head and walked back to the hourglass. " That's better," she said. " What was I talking about again Kitten?" The cat said nothing. " Ah, yes. The man," she said as if the cat had answered her back. " This man, he's not in England. I'm sure of that. I know he's not in Japan either. Where could he be?"

She heard someone scream and saw lights come on in other houses as the discovery of the woman's dead body was found by a passing businessman. " America, perhaps? He's been there before. Why not go back?" she said to herself as she saw a crowd began to form as the businessman dialed for an ambulance. " No matter where he is, I will find him. I have to kill him. Even if it means taking my own life as well. You know, Kitten, there's another reason that I want to kill him."

The girl took out another knife and started staring at it. " That man doesn't deserve his life. Do you know why? He enjoys watching pain and suffering, not because he has too but because he wants to. Remember the woman that I told you about Kitten? Well, the day she died, the man, who was still a boy at the time, did nothing but stare, and grin. He laughed at death, Kitten. That is something that can never be forgiven, no matter who the victem is. Death is not a laughing matter, and I'll make sure that that man never forgets that."

The girl sighed then. " I wonder... when will I see him again? Honestly, I'm frightened a bit. Not because of his personality, though. It's because that once I find him, there's a strong chance that I'll grow insane. I'm barely holding on to what little grip I have on sanity already, Kitten. I don't know how much longer I could take it. That is why I have so little emotions, you see. Exposing to much of my emotions will probably make me let go of sanity for good. Once I see him, a sensation will hit me, and I will no longer be able to contain it. I have to sacrifice my sanity in order to kill the man. Do you think it's worth it, Kitten...?"

Kitten meowed again in a sad tone. The girl frowned. " That is life, Kitten. Always making sacrifices throughout life in order to get what you want. I'll miss you. You're my only friend. But now, Kitten, we have to part our ways. You seem to have no problem finding food," She looked over at the rat corpse, then looked back at the cat, staring into its amber eyes. " I'm off then. I'm sure you won't miss me. Goodbye, Kitten."

And with that, the mysterious teenage girl walked out of the house and to the streets. The crowd didn't seem to notice as the sirens of the ambulance became audible. " Such as life..." she said to herself as she kept on walking. Once the sun was up, she was going to go buy an airplane ticket to America to find the one she needed to kill. Money was not a problem. She had plenty from her previous victems. The girl would go to every state in the country if she needed to, but that didn't seem likely to her. She already somehow knew where she would start off.

She would go to California, in the city that was called Los Angeles. Three murders had recently took place there, and the murderer must be the man she was looking for.


	2. Chapter 1

In the August of 2002 in Los Angeles, California, Beyond Birthday arose from his sleep. He jumped out of bed happily, opened the window and sniffed the air deeply. " Ah, what a beautiful morning!" He exclaimed. Although, one might not have discribed it as beautiful. There was litter everywhere outside. Fresh air seemed hard to come by around where Beyond lived, since most people that passed by often smoked there. That didn't bring Beyond's moods down, though. He loved California. Nothing was gonna change that.

He sighed dreamily as he walked over to reach for his CD player. Well, technicaly it wasn't his. It origanally belonged to Quarter Queen. But she was dead now anyways; not like she would need it. He went to a pile CDs that he took from Backyard Bottomslash. Quarter Queen's CDs were definately not Beyond's taste. I mean, Hilary Duff? Jesse McCartney? Britney freakin' Spears? No, definiately not what serial killers should listen too.

Backyard Bottomslash, on the other hand, had excellent taste in music. Disturbed, Green Day, Linkin Park, The Used, The Rasmus, and others. Beyond randomly chose one from the huge pile and put it in. Once he did he put the volume somewhat low, but not low enough so he couldn't here the lyrics. He looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. Every time he looked in it he would see another man staring back at him. Beyond sighed.

" I got these bags for you, L. I hope you appreciate them." He started to comb his hair, only to ruffle it up again. He sighed again and switched on the TV. " Investigaters are still working on the ' Locked Room Killings'. The murderer is still being determined..." a newscaster was saying. Beyond chuckled. "' Locked Room Killings?'" he said to himself. " They couldn't have come up with a better name? They should've stuck with the 'Wara Ningyo Murders' at least. Sound so much catchier." He heard the song fade and another take it's place. The song's lyrics caught his attention.

"' You thought you were there to guide me. You were only in my way. You were wrong if you think that I'll be just like you'," Beyond smirked. " Heh. That should be dedicated to Lawli. From me and all the kids at Wammy's who know shit." He switched the TV and CD player off and started to leave, but he noticed that something was out of place. He wasn't sure exactly what, but there was definately something. What then? His manga collection seemed in order. His strawberry jam was where he last left it. The wara ningyo was nailed above his bed...

" Wait, what?" Beyond said when he saw the straw doll. " I thought I already used up all of them...No, I did. Where the hell did this come from?" Beyond crept slowly towards the doll to examine it. It was almost like the kind that he made, same color, same structure. But there was something different, something...feminime. The murderer froze. This doll must have been made by a female. But who? When did she nail it above his bed? When he was sleeping, perhaps? No, he would have heard hammering. Then how did it get there?

Beyond pondered as he stared at it. Suddenly, he ripped the wara ningyo from the wall, ran outside, lighted a match and burned the mysterious doll. It's not from her, it's not from her, he thought repeatedly to himself. It can't be, it's not. No matter how many times he repeated those words, they didn't seem to assure him. He shook his head and grabbed his hair. " No... don't go crazy now, don't," he said to himself. " Save that for later. Yes, later. If everything goes according to plan, I won't have to suffer much longer. No... no more suffering."

He let go of his hair and tried to keep a steady breathing. Then he smirked. " Beyond Birthday, you're not going to let a girl scare you, are you?" he asked himself. " Of course you won't. You want to prove yourself to Lawli, don't you? I know you do. Besides, you're stronger, tougher. You're a big boy who can take care of himself. Nothing to worry about." He walked down the streets, seeming on the outide that nothing was wrong.

Although he couldn't get the thought of the wara ningyo out of his head, he started to think about it in worry. Not worrying for the same reason he had earlier, but a different one. " It probably won't stop here." he said to himself as he walked. " She'll probably do something else to get my attention... like murder. I can't let that happen. Wouldn't want everyone to get distracted from the current murder case. That would ruin everything... No." Beyond stopped walking. " This is it. I'm falling into her trap. She's smarter than I expected."

He leaned against a a telephone pole and sighed. " It's seems I have no choice... Dammit. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He closed his eyes and tried to think. " Hmm... maybe... no, am I that desperate? She could prove herself useful at least. She seems to be pretty smart. Shit, I am despterate." He groaned. He got out a quarter from his jean pocket and deposited it in the pay phone. Riiiiiiiiiiing. Riiiiiiiiiiiiing. " Hello?" he said. " Who is this? It's me, Ryuzaki. Don't tell me you've forgotten me already, Misora."


	3. Chapter 2

Naomi Misora arrived at a Denny's in Los Angeles at exactly twelve o' clock noon. She took off her helmet as she got off her motorcycle. She entered nervously and looked around until she spotted him. He was sitting at the farthest table, staring out the window with a dazed look on his face. " Hello, how many?" one of the employees asked. Naomi shook her head. " It's alright, I'm with him," she said, indicating to Beyond. The employee nodded and helped another couple. Naomi walked awkwardly over to Beyond.

" Um..." Beyond looked up to face her. " Oh, hello Misora. I wasn't expecting to meet you here." She looked confused. " What do you mean? You're the one who called me over here in the first place." she said, annoyed. " Hm? Oh, I did, didn't I?" Beyond replied. Naomi rolled her eyes. " Well don't just stand there Misora. Please, have a seat." Beyond said, gesturing towards the seat in front of him with his spoon. Naomi sat awkwardly, avoiding Beyond's gaze. " So Ryuzaki, was there something you wanted to talk about?" she asked. Beyond nodded. There was a long silence.

" Well?" Naomi said expectantly. Beyond stared down at his coffee, or what was supposed to be coffee. It was hard to tell because of all the sugar in it. Then he looked up and said guiltily, " I need your help." Naomi stared back. " Help? In what?" she asked. " Weell..." Beyond started, dragging the word. " There's this case that I've been assigned recently, and maybe if you're interested..." His words faded as he looked away. Naomi arched an eyebrow. " Okay, but what kind of case are we talking about here?"

Beyond scratched the back of his head. " It's another murder case. I believe that the killer might be well known in England, and she came to America seeking more victems. I'm not exactly sure if it's who I think it is, but there's a strong possibility that it is. I'd say about 93% at the most." he explained. Naomi couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Why was he asking her for help? So far, in the current murder case they were working on, he's practically hinted all of the clues and let Naomi take credit for them.

" Well, if it's really neccecary for you to ask for my help, then sure." Beyond's face brightened a bit. " I appreciate it, Misora." he said gratefully. Naomi nodded. Then she said, " Uh, Ryuzaki, if you don't mind, I need to use the bathroom." Beyond sipped his coffee. " I don't mind." he said. Naomi got up, but before a few steps, Beyond called, " And Misora, before I forget to mention, this information is strictly confidential. I'd appreciate it if you don't inform anyone on this case. Not your parents, or your boyfriend, or perhaps a best friend that you're close with. But please, just don't tell anyone." Naomi hesitated, then nodded again and headed towards the restroom.

She put her purse next to the sink and sighed. _Ryuzaki's acting pretty wierd_, she thought. _I haven't even heard about this murder case that he's telling me about. Maybe he's just making it up...? No, he couldn't be. Besides, why would he do that? It's not like he's trying to distract me, right? Maybe I should tell L..._

Before she could finish her thoughts, she rememberd Beyond's words, _" I'd appreciate it if you don't inform anyone on this case."_ Did that include L as well? Beyond did make it quite clear that he didn't want anyone to know about it. Naomi clicked her tounge. " Well, L must be busy with other cases, including the one that I'm working on. I shouldn't burden him with another one..." she said to herself. She sighed and pushed the door open. She felt she hit someone with it and checked.

She saw Beyond holding on to his nose as though it were bleeding. Naomi narrowed her eyes at him. " Ryuzaki, why do you do that?" she asked. Beyond put his hand down. " Do what Misora?" he asked innocently. Naomi gave him a stern look. " Don't play stupid. Whenever I'm using the restroom or something you're always outside eavesdropping." she said. Beyond shook his head. " I wouldn't technically call it eavesdropping, seeing as how you barely said a word..."

" Ryuzaki."

Beyond stopped talking. " Well Misora, some men become curious when women tend to their own personal needs." he said slowly. Naomi narrowed her eyes. " Yes, I agree. Women call those kind of men perverts." she replied. Beyond blushed. " Perverts? Oh no no no, Misora. That is just the nature of men." he assured. Naomi sighed. " Raye's not like that at all. He gives me my own privacy whenever I need it."

Beyond sighed. " I hate to brake to you, Misora, but not all men are as...'perfect' as Mr. Penber." he said sarcastically. Naomi started to walk away. " Hey, where are you going?" she heard Beyond call. " I'm sorry, Ryuzaki, but I really can't put up with your behaviour at the moment. I'll still work on the case with you, of course. You know my number, right? Call me if you need me. We'll meet tomorrow, alright? Bye." Naomi left the Denny's without turning back to look at Beyond's expression.

Beyond stared towards Naomi's direction for a few more seconds, then sat back at the booth, sighing. _Women_, he thought.


	4. Chapter 3

The next day, Beyond groaned, not having enough energy to get off the bed. He had told Naomi that he would explain the situation more, but he didn't want to. He didn't exactly like the idea of cooperating with her. Working with her on the current case was horrible enough, but this too? He rubbed his eyes when a thought came to him. Was it really nessecary to ask for her cooperation? He pondered this for a while.

He might have to use hand-to-hand combat against his opponent, and he wasn't exactly an expert on that kind of technique. Naomi could easily teach him some basic steps of Capoeira. She was rather good at it. But he could have just asked her for that, he didn't even have to tell her about a new murder case. Nobody was even murdered yet, for all Beyond knew. It was just a theory that person who planted the wara ningyo above his bed was going to kill anyone. If no one died, Misora would definately get suspicious.

Beyond bit his thumbnail. Looks like I'm going to have to go on a killing spree again, he thought. But it seemed like he didn't need to. He turned on the tv to the news again and saw another report. " A murder has just been commited down in Sacramento. Although there are no clues on who the killer could be, detectives are almost positive that it is not the same murderer as the one in the Locked Room Killings." the reporter said. " Crap!" Beyond said. " The last thing I want is for L to get distracted with this, too! Dammit!"

Beyond jumped off the bed and quickly took a shower before calling Naomi. " Misora?" he said. " Yes Ryuzaki? What is it?" Naomi's voice said through the phone. " Do you think you could meet me earlier than planned?" he asked. Naomi hesitated. " Well, actually Ryuzaki, I had plans with Raye..." Beyond narrowed his eyes. " Oh, of course. Please don't let me spoil your plans with your beloved Penber." he said bitterly. He felt something that he's never felt before, or at least couldn't remember the feeling. Was it...jealousy?

" Well, I mean, if it's really important that you have to tell me early, then I guess I could reschedule..." Naomi said uneasily. Beyond sighed. " No no, it's fine. Let's just stick with the origanal time, alright? Goodbye." Before Naomi could respond, Beyond hung up. He looked at the tv one more time before leaving and said to himself, " I hate my life."

Raye Penber sighed as he watched Naomi poke at her pancakes sadly. " Naomi, is there something wrong?" he asked. Naomi looked up. " Hm? Oh, it's nothing." she said. Raye knew there was something, though. " What is it? You can tell me." he said. Naomi shook her head as she pushed the plate away from her. " Really, it's nothing." She looked at her boyfriend and sighed. " Fine. Well, remember the guy that I told you about?" she asked. Raye nodded. Naomi shifted uncomfortably.

" Well..." she started. Then she remembered her promise that she made with Beyond. " Um, he asked me to help me find his father." she made up quickly. " You see, he hasn't seen him since he was little, and he's been curious of his warabouts. I agreed to help him, but I relized that we have no way of finding him. I mean, his mother died and he wasn't old enough to know his father's name. He has nobody to ask, either. I thought of trying to track people with the same last name as him, but he said that he wasn't even sure if it was his real last name, since his mother always tried to protect by never letting him do things that other kids could, you know?"

Raye nodded. " I could see why that's distracting you." he said. Naomi looked relief. " Really?" she asked. " Yeah," Raye replied. " It's like that Wara Ningyo Murders. Detectives are looking for the murderer but they have nothing to go on. Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?" Naomi sipped her coffee. " Yes. That's it, basically." she said. Raye looked at his watch. " Damn..." Then he looked up at his girlfriend.

" I'm really sorry, Naomi, but it's about time I head to work." he apologized. Naomi nodded. " Yeah, of course." she said. Raye frowned. " I really can't wait till you come back to the FBI. Things have been way too peaceful without Misora Massacre around." he joked, using the nickname the people in the FBI gave Naomi because of her clumsiness. Naomi chuckled. " Haha, yeah. I can't wait to be back either. Well, I'll see you later then?" Raye smiled. " Yeah. See ya Naomi." he said, then left.

Naomi sighed at the limited amount of time she got to spend with Raye each day. She honestly wanted to go back to her job as an agent, but there was a part of her that didn't want to go just yet. It was probably because she knew that, for some strange reason, L needed her assistance in the murder case. Although, it could have been the part that wanted to help Beyond with the case that he announced. There was something about him...

Naomi mentally slapped herself. Are you crazy? she thought. Please don't tell me that you're falling in love with Ryuzaki. Why would you do that? He's so wierd, always crawling all over the place on all fours and eating jam in that discusting way of his. Then remember that time he made you drink that coffee with all the sugar in it? Well, that did lead up to discovering a hint on Quarter Queen's and the other's deaths. But still, was it really neccesary to make me drink it? She clicked her tongue, remembering the vile taste of the dirt-like liquid.

She got out her cellphone and dialed Beyond's number. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. " Yes?" Beyond's voice came through. " Um, Ryuzaki," she said uneasily. " Oh, Misora. I wasn't expecting you to call. After all, you were with Penbar if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Naomi felt a little guilty. " He just left, actually. Listin, Ryuzaki. I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier. Are you busy now?" She waited for a responce.

" No, I suppose not," Beyond responded dully. " Should we meet at your place then?" he asked. Naomi hesitated. " Um, sure. When will you be there?" she asked. " Oh, I don't know. Whenever," Beyond said nonchalantly. Naomi narrowed her eyes. " But, if you get there before I do, are you just going to wait outside?" she asked. " No, I'll find my way in." Beyond answered. " But how? I mean, I don't leave a key under the welcome matt or anything..."

" I'll find my way in," Beyond repeated. " I'll see you soon then, Misora. Goodbye." he said. " Bye," Naomi mumbled. She sighed as she left a tip on the table and headed out the door.

Meanwhile, Beyond stared at Naomi through the resturaunt's window as she left. Wow, B, he thought. You're really stalking her? Wow, just wow. He placed his cell phone back in his pocket before jogging to Naomi's house, making sure that he would get there before her without her seeing her.


	5. Chapter 4

Naomi hastily took out her house keys from her jacket pocket and opened the door. As expected, Beyond was already there. He didn't seem to notice her though, becuase he was too busy raiding her kitchen. Naomi cleared her throat to get his attention. Beyond looked up, embaressed. " Hello Misora. I wasn't expecting you home so early." he greeted. Naomi crossed her arms. " Ryuzaki, if I may ask, what the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" Beyond put a box of Honey Nut Cheerios down guiltily. " Well, I'm sorry Misora. I didn't relize that this was a restricted area." he said.

Naomi sighed at his sarcasm. " Of course it's not. But that doesn't mean you can trash it like it's yours." she said. Beyond headed towards one of Naomi's couches and sat on it, hugging his knees. " Actually, my place is rather organized Misora." he replied. " Do you have any coffee?"

" I just ran out a few days ago, actually." Naomi lied. Beyond tilted his head a bit. " Really? I thought I saw some in the kitchen." he told her. She shook her head and sighed. " Get it yourself," she said tirely. Beyond looked offended. " What a terrible hostess you are, Misora," he joked.

" Ryuzaki, the case?" Naomi said, cutting to the chase. Beyond scratched the back of his head. " Ah, yes. Of course. You've heard of the murders in Sacremento, correct?" he asked. Naomi nodded slowly. She thought she heard about it on the news, but just this morning. Not when Beyond told her. Or, maybe the murders have just been discovered and Beyond knew ahead of time? Perhaps that was the case. " Well," Beyond started. " I think I have an idea of who the killer is. In England, where I've spent my childhood, there was this serial killer. Every day and every night there would be another victem, and all fingers pointed to her."

" Wait, the murderer is female?" Naomi asked. Beyond nodded. " Obviously when I reffer to someone as 'her', I'm inferring to a female." he said sarcastiacally. Naomi shot him a look. Beyond cleared his throaht. " Anyways, she's dangerous. I've actually encountered her before, the day my mother died when I was twelve." he said. " Really? Was she the cause of your mother's death?" Naomi asked. Beyond shook his head. " No, at the time she was just an innocent bystander. You see, we were in a subway and my mother got hit by a train. Blood splattered everywhere; it wasn't a pretty sight. The murderer, who was only about four or five years old, was screaming and tried to run to my mother, even though it was obvious that nothing could be done for her. She was being held back by a policeman.

" She yelled at the police officer to let her go, but he wouldn't. She then tried calling out to someone else. The policeman told her that she needed to go, that the sight was too grusome for anyone her age to she did next was something that I never would have expected someone like her to do." Beyond hesitated before continuing. " She turned, grabbed the man's gun out of his holster, and shot him until he was dead." Naomi gasped. " That was her first murder?" she asked. Beyond nodded. " Yes. After that, more policemen came and injected something in her to make her unconcious. I never saw the girl since. They probably put her in some orphanage or maybe even put her in juvy."

Naomi thought for a moment. " She's dangerous," Naomi agreed. " If she's been killing since she was five, then of course she is. Were you frightened at all when she killed the officer Ryuzaki?" she asked. Beyond went silent, thinking of what to say. " Well, Misora, two murders in one day wasn't easy for me to take in as a child. It still frightens me that a child would deliberately do such a thing at such an early age."

But that was a lie. Beyond loved seeing death before he was twelve. When his father died, he was shocked of course. But when he learned to accept the fact that death was real, it became somewhat humerous. So humerous that it would make him laugh. That wasn't what was scaring him; the police officer that died still had 46 years left in him. That girl was somehow able to kill someone before the end of their lifespan, which was impossible to do. Except for if you had a Death Note, but that doesn't count yet.

" So Misora. Are you still up for it?" Beyond asked. Naomi nodded. " Of course. Maybe we'll be able to talk to her about this. Maybe even change her way of life, convince her to stop killing." She looked at Beyond for support or at least a few encouraging words. " Maybe," was all he said. He knew that the chances were small that they could change her, not even 2%. But he didn't want to give her a chance. He promised himself that when he finally met her again, without Naomi being at the scene, he would kill her. He didn't care that he couldn't see her lifespan, or if it might mean risking his own life. None of it mattered at the moment. What mattered was the girl needed to die.

The murderer was, even to Beyond, a threat to society. Killing people before their lifespan ended, before their limit, it was just not the way of life. It was wrong. It wasn't because he was jealous of her power. It was because she was misusing it. That could never be forgiven. It is wrong to take the life of a person that wasn't about to die, which Beyond was supised to hear himself think. But it was true. He had to kill her.

" Well, Misora," Beyond started. " I was wondering..." Naomi looked up at him. " Yes?" she asked. Beyond looked out the window, avoiding Naomi's eyes. " Well, since we're dealing with a mass murderer here, we're not exactly sure what to expect. Maybe we won't have time to draw any weapons, so...maybe you could..." Beyond didn't finish, feeling himself blush. Misora arched an eyebrow.

" Ryuzaki, do you want me to teach you hand-to-hand combat?" she asked. Beyond, head still turned, nodded. Naomi crossed her arms. " The only form of combat I know is Capoeira. Is that okay?" she asked. Beyond had the suddon urge for something sweet, wishing that his jam was right by his side, where it should always be. Why was he feeling embaressed all of a suddon? " Um, yes actually. I mean, if you have the time..."

Naomi sighed. " I have plenty of time, Ryuzaki. Don't worry. When do you want to start?" she asked. Beyond shrugged. " As soon as possible, I guess." he said. Naomi stood up. " Alright then. Help me move the furniture, you first lesson starts now."


	6. Chapter 5

" Ryuzaki, you're not doing it right."

Those were the repeated words of Naomi as she tried and tried to get Beyond to do the kicks and turns correctly. Beyond groaned. " I told you I'm not an expert, Misora. Besides, your instructing is difficult to comprehend." he complained. Naomi linked her foot with his leg and swung, causing him to lose balance and fall. " I'll have you know that I've taught six FBI agents Capoeira and they do it like the experts." she informed. " You're just a difficult student, that's all."

Beyond pouted as he looked up at Naomi. " Why do you say that?" he asked, annoyed. Naomi smirked. " Even though I've only known you for a short time, I have an idea of how your mind works." she said. " You only learn what you want to learn, like a stubborn child." Beyond cupped his face in his hands. " You're impossible Misora, do you know that?" he sighed, only proving Naomi's point of him being stubborn. She brushed some hair out of her eyes and said, " Well, I think we should take a break. I'll get us something to drink."

" Fine, just don't step on me this time." Beyond sighed, not bothering to get off the floor. Naomi grinned and walked around him, heading towards the kitchen. " You know, Ryuzaki, you could always stick to using guns." she suggested, opening the refridgerator. Beyond rolled his eyes. " Please, the last thing I want is for you to teach me how to use a gun," he said. " Besides," he added quietly. " Knives are better."

" Hm? What was that Ryuzaki?"

" Oh, nothing."

Naomi handed Beyond a bottle of water and took a sip out of her own. " Ryuzaki, how long does it take for you to learn something?" she asked. Beyond shrugged. " It all depends on what I'm learning," he said. Naomi chuckled. " Like what?" she asked. He thought for a moment, staring at the cieling fan. " Hm... I guess things like math or perhaps improving my deduction skills." he answered. " Basically, more mental learning than phyical." Naomi nodded. " Oh, I see. Is it just easier for you to do the mental or are you just too lazy to do the physical?" she asked.

" Both," Beyond answered. Naomi chuckled. " Well, wanna start again?" she asked him. Beyond sighed and got up. " Alright then. Try to do a basic kick." she instructed.

She watched as Beyond tried to kick and spin. He was getting better, she noted. She could definately see some improvement. " Stop," she said. Beyond's foot stopped in mid air. " Yes?" he said. Naomi walked over to him. " You're getting better, there's just something wrong. Lemme see your starting stance again." she said. Beyond did as instructed, and Naomi looked for any flaws. " Hmm... try spreading your legs more apart," she advised.

" Like this?"

" Yeah. Now try adjusting your arms a little."

" Is this good?"

"...Not exactly. Adjust them like this."

She grabbed his arms gently and positioned them. " There. That's better." she said. Then she relized how close she was to Beyond and quickly stepped a few feet back, blushing. " Er, now try it." she said, looking away. Beyond nodded, feeling his cheeks get warm and kicked. He felt improvement, but he rarely payed attention to that; the feeling of Naomi's touch still lingured on his skin. " Um, how was that?" he asked awkwardly. Naomi smiled sheepishly. " Uh, yeah. Exactly like that." she said.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. " Well," Beyond said, breaking the silence. " I'm grateful that you let me waste some of your time." Naomi nodded. " You weren't wasting it, don't worry. I'm glad you came." she said. Beyond shrugged. " Yeah, well, I...gotta go. Bye." he said as he exited her house. Naomi sighed and sat on the couch. " What's wrong with you Naomi?" she asked herself.

A few minutes after leaving Naomi's place, Beyond let out a frustrated groan. " Are you insane?" he asked himself. " Misora is just a pawn, and nothing more. So why are you acting like this all of a suddon? Don't tell me you actually like her. God, this is exactly what you've been trying to avoid. You have a freakin' crush on her you idiot!" He kicked a rock as hard as he could and sighed. " Just ignore it, B. She's not worth it." he said. Although, ignoring it was just impossible.

What was worse was that he didn't know how Misora felt back. She loved Penber, after all. But why? He's such a prick, why would anyone love him? Maybe she was just desperate at the time she and him hooked up. But was it possible for somone to be that deperate? Why would someone like her need to be? She shouldn't have a problem with guys, with her long, black hair, beautiful curves, and those eyes that just make you want to trust her...

" Shut up, Beyond, just shut up!" he yelled. " How do you even know that kind of thing about her? Oh God, you've been checking her out without even noticing it! Damn you Misora..."


	7. Chapter 6

After going to Naomi's house, Raye Penber took a bus home. Sitting down, he sighed and started reading a newspaper. Work had never been worse. Apperently, after Naomi's leaving, the FBI have been taking advantage of the time that he would have usually spent with her. Now his time with her was more limited than before. " Excuse me, can I sit here?" Raye looked up to see a girl who looked liked she was in her late teens. Raye nodded and the girl took a seat. She peered at the newspaper and asked, " What's that about?" Raye looked at the page she was talking about.

" Oh, it's a murder case that's been going on," he replied. The girl tiltled her head. " Murder case?" she repeated. Raye nodded. " You must be new around town, since everyone knows about it already. You see, these three murders were commited here in Los Angles. No one's having any luck on finding out who the culprit is, though. Even L is having some trouble." he explained. The girl looked at Raye with a confused expression. " L?" she said. Raye put the newspaper down. " You don't know him, huh. Of course, I don't blame you. Not alot of people do. L is the world's greatest detective. He's solved a great amount of cases. Nobody knows his true identity; not his name, not his looks. A genious, and yet he's still having trouble with the case."

" Really?" the girl asked in awe. " Wow. But how is that possible? I mean, only three people were killed, right? There should be at least one clue. Hasn't he checked out if there were any at the scenes already?" Raye looked out the window. " Actually, as far as I know, L has never actually been at a crime scene or anything. He does all his work through a computer." he said. The girl pursed her lips. " Well that's wierd." she said. The bus came to a hault. " This is my stop," Raye said, and got up. He gave the girl the newspaper. " Here. Keep it if you want to learn more about it."

The girl smiled at Raye. " Thanks!" she said, and started reading. Raye smiled back and got off. As soon as the bus started to move again, the girl stopped smiling. L, huh, she thought. Not even he is able to get this murderer. Yes, this must be him. It's only a matter time before he's sent to his death, as long as L doesn't catch him first.

Naomi looked out the window tiredly. She attempted to go to sleep multiple time earlier, but failed. Too much was going on in her head right now. She thought of a trick that her mom had taught her when she was a kid. If she wanted to get some sleep, she'd write down everything that was on her mind and it would have been much easier to let go of the thoughts. But, in this case, it didn't seem safe to write down what was going on.

There was a knock on the door, which startled Naomi. Who could it possibly be at this time? It was...Naomi turned to look at the clock on the wall. 3:16 am. Naomi sighed at how late she'd been up and went to the door. Checking through the peephole, she saw Beyond. She grimanced. Ah, of course, Naomi thought and opened the door. Beyond looked up, looking awful. His hair was messier than usual, and the bags under his eyes were darker. His skin was much paler than it usually was. Naomi looked at him with concern. " Ryuzaki, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said.

" No, I had a nightmare," he told her. " Really? It must've been bad; you look me to make you some coffee?" she offered. Beyond shrugged, and walked in with her. He sat on the couch as Naomi headed for the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. " So Misora, what's your excuse for being up so late? It seems like you didn't just wake up." Beyond said. " Couldn't sleep," Naomi answered simply. Beyond nodded, yawning. A few minutes later, Naomi came in with two cups of coffee. She went back to the kitchen to retrieve a bag of sugar cubes and handed it to Beyond. He smirked and opened the bag.

" So Ryuzaki," Naomi said. " Any specific reason you came here besides the fact that you had a bad dream?" Beyond got a few sugar cubes and dropped them into his cup one by one. Why did he come? It wasn't nessecary to come all the way over here. He's been doing things without giving it a second thought lately. " Honestly, Misora, I haven't the slightest idea," he responded, taking a sip out of his drink. Naomi looked at him with a worried expression on her face. " So what was it about?" she asked. " What was what about?" Beyond asked, taking more sugar cubes. Naomi sighed. " I mean the nightmare, Ryuzaki." she said. Beyond shook his head. " I'm sorry, Misora, but I really have no intention on telling you about it," he said. Naomi frowned. " Ryuzaki, I understand if you don't feel like telling me. But if you let it out to someone, it'll make you feel better."

Beyond looked down at his coffee. There was a part of him that wanted to tell Naomi, but another that thought it was just too personal to be heard anywhere but his mind. " It's quite alright, Misora," he assured. Naomi looked at him doubtfully, but didn't push the subject any further. Instead, she sat there awkwardly while Beyond finished his drink. " Um, just out of curiosity, are you gonna be heading home now?" she asked tentively. Beyond blushed. " Well, actually, you see...since it's late and I won't be able to find my way home in the dark..."

Naomi stared at him for a moment, then said, " You want to stay over?" Beyond choked on his drink. " Well, Misora, it's late and if you feel uncomfortable with my staying here then you could just send me home!" he said hastily. Naomi smiled. " The guest room's right over there," she said, pointing down a hallway. " I'll get you some blankets." She got off the couch and headed towards a closet at the very end of the hall. Beyond burried his face in the couch's armrest, feeling his face redden. Never had he felt this embaressed.

As soon as he heard Naomi's footsteps come closer he immediately sat up. She has holding a couple of blankets and pillows. " Are these good?" she asked. Beyond got up to examine them more closely. " Perfect," he mumbled and took them out of Naomi's hands. She led him to the room he would be staying in. " So, if you need anything, just call me," she said and left. Beyond plopped himself on the bed, threw the blankets on top of himself, and adjusted the pillow under his head. Finally, after at least an hour of just laying there, he let sleep claim him.


	8. Chapter 7

Three hours after she went to sleep, Naomi woke up, feeling as though something were wrong. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. Feeling her mouth dry, Naomi headed for the kitchen to get a glass of water. Halfway down the hallway, she heard something in the guest room. Quietly opening the door, she walked over to the sorce of the noise. It was Beyond. He seemed to be having a nightmare; a bad one at that. He was drenched in sweat and was tossing and turning. " No...please..." he was muttering in his sleep. " I...I couldn't help it...The blood...it was everywhere..."

" Ryuzaki!" Naomi yelled. She gripped his shoulders and tried to shake him awake. Beyond's eyes snapped open, and for a moment Naomi thought that his eyes were an illuminating shade of red. She blinked and saw them return to their original color. Brushing that aside, thinking it only to be her imagination due to her lack of sleep, and returned her attention back to Beyond. " Ryuzaki, don't worry! It was just a nightmare!" she tried to reassure. Beyond just shook his head and looked down at his knees, as though in a trance. " What were you dreaming about anyways that scared you?" Naomi asked.

Beyond hugged his knees tightly. " My death..." he whispered. " Never before have I been frightened of dying... it's her fault..." Naomi frowned. " Who's? The murderer?" she asked. Beyond nodded, shaking terriblely. Feeling that she should do something, Naomi went to the kitchen to get some water for Beyond. After handing it to him, she went to the bathroom to get him a towel to dry the sweat off of himself. " Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked after a while. " No," Beyond said bluntly, voice muffled by the towel. " Are you sure?" Naomi persisted. Beyond took the towel away from his face and sighed.

" If you must know, Misora, I was dreaming about that faithful day at the site of my mother's death. The murderer might not even be a murderer if she hadn't been there; the wrong place at the wrong time." He drank some of the water in the glass, closing his eyes as the drink refreshed him. Naomi gave him a look of understanding. " Not everything turns out the way we want it to," she said. Beyond grimanced. " Yeah, well, life sucks that way," he said, placing the towel next to him. Naomi sighed. " It's just one of the few disadvantages we have in life," she said. Beyond sighed and layed back down.

" Misora, why is life so cruel anyways?" he asked. Naomi gave him a small smile. " Life if like a person. At times it could just get on your last nerves, while at other times you're just grateful to have it there," she said, moving closer to Beyond. He smiled. " If that's the case, then life's being a real ass," he chuckled softly, and moved closer to Naomi. " Life could be like that sometimes," she whispered, closing her eyes. " I've noticed," Beyond whispered back, closing his eyes as well.

They kissed.

Relizing what had just happened, Naomi quickly backed away. Beyond blushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. " I'm sorry," Naomi said after a moment's silence. Beyond looked up. " Why are you apologizing?" he asked. Naomi shrugged. " Ryuzaki, we just kissed," she said. Beyond nodded. " Yes, that much is obvious," he said. Naomi started to leave. " Wait, Misora," Beyond called. " Where are you going?"

" I'm just going to go back to sleep," she said, feeling confused. Beyond thought of walking up to her, asking her what was wrong, but later thought that it was better that he leave it be for now. " Alright then. Good night Nao- Misora."

Naomi stopped, suprised at what Beyond had just said. Or, what he had _almost_ said. Naomi. He always adressed her by her last name, never her first. This suprised Beyond as well. It just came out naturally. Naomi turned to face him again. " Goodnight," she told him, and left. But not before giving him a warm smile.

It was the afternoon, and Beyond was about to head home. Naomi met him in the living room after he took a shower. " Thanks for letting me stay," he said. Naomi nodded. " Yeah, of course," she said, still thinking of the previous event. " Misora, about what happened..." Beyond started to say, as though he had read her mind. Naomi shook her head. " Ryuzaki, I don't know what happened... It's just... I don't know what came over me," she explained tentivley, looking away. Beyond hesitated before saying anything else. "...I'm sorry that you feel that way," he apologized, getting ready to leave.

" Why did you?" Naomi asked all of a suddon. Beyond looked up at her. " Why did I what?" he asked. " Why did you kiss me back?" Naomi asked. The question caught Beyond off-guard. " I...I don't know. Maybe I...enjoyed it..." he answered hesitantly. Naomi blushed. " Really?" she asked, suprised. Beyond slowly nodded. Naomi didn't know what to say, because she knew that she enjoyed it as well.

" I don't know what to do," she said. " I mean, kissing you and dating Raye at the same time...I feel like a whore." _Well why don't you just dump the asshole, _Beyond thought grimly. " Misora, why _do_ you love Penbar anyways?" he asked. He couldn't help himself; he had to know why. " I love Raye because he understands me," Naomi explained. " He cares about me and takes care of me..."

" Don't you think he's a little over protective?" Beyond asked suddenly. Naomi looked at him, taken aback by this comment. " What do you mean by that?" she asked. Beyond didn't want to say anything else, but he knew that he had to tell her sooner or later. " Well, Misora, it's just that he doesn't seem to trust you enough. To me, he seems like the kind of person who thinks that the male are superior to the female."

" No he doesn't!" Naomi said defensevily." Raye knows what I'm fully capable of!" Beyond sighed. " I'm sorry, it's just that I don't see how you think he's your type," he admitted. Naomi folded her arms against her chest. " You shouldn't be the one to judge our relationship," she said. Beyond looked away. " I'm sorry," he repeated. " Let's just forget about the whole thing and continue the case tomorrow, how does that sound?" he asked. Naomi nodded. " Alright then," she said. " Beyond opened the door. " See you tomorrow then, Misora."


	9. Chapter 8

She thought to herself for a while. Did she like him? No, that was impossible. She loved Raye. He was her boyfriend, not Beyond. Then why was she having second thoughts about their relationship? She already had this conversation with herself a countless amount of times before, and yet she still didn't know the answer. A knock on her door inturuppted her thoughts. When she opened it, Raye stood there smiling. " Hey," he said, and kissed her cheek. " I missed you." Naomi blushed. " You've been busy lately," she said. Raye shrugged and smiled apologetically. " Heh, sorry about that. The boss wants me working almost 24/7 now that you're no longer a 'distraction' to me." He made little air quotes with his fingers when he said "distraction".

Naomi chuckled and playfully pushed Raye out of the doorway. " Come on," she said. " We might as well spend some time together while we have the chance." Raye smiled and locked the door behind him. " So where you wanna go?" Raye asked as they got in his car. Naomi shrugged. " I don't know. Why don't you choose?" she said. Raye thought for a moment. " Well, depends what you're in the mood for. You hungry?" he asked. " Eh, sorta," Naomi replied. " I ate earlier, though not that much." Raye put the keys into the ignition. " Alright then. How about a movie?" he suggested. Naomi smiled and nodded. " Sure," she agreed. A movie might be just what she needed to take her mind away from last night's events.

The movie they ended up seeing was a romantic comedy. Naomi tried to concentrate on the movie, but she couldn't stand seeing the leading couple kiss every few minutes. Raye, as always, noticed, but thought that if she didn't say anything about it eventually, he wouldn't ask. Though, if she showed signs of stress, he would find some way to find out what was bothering her. She still seemed distracted, making him feel a bit worried. He kissed her lightly on her cheek to make her feel better. The kiss seemed to reassure her, and she lost some tension in her shoulders. Raye smiled and put his arm around her. " Don't worry, Naomi," he whispered. " Whatever it is, it'll be fine later." Naomi nodded and smiled softly, hoping that he was right.

Upon entering his home, Beyond slammed the door, plopped himself on the bed, and burried his face into a pillow. " Shit!" he exclaimed. " Shit shit shit shit shit! Fucking dumbass, why the hell did you kiss her?" He had no idea why he did it, nor would he understand if he knew. " She's a pawn, B, she's a pawn. How many times do I have to remind you? If you develop feelings for her, which you've pretty much done, it might ruin everything! You saw the way she pulled back. Because you made her feel like a cheating bitch!" Beyond got off his bed and searched for his jar of strawberry jam. That always seemed to calm his nerves; besides killing, at least. Sticking his hand in the jar, he went over his plan again to see if this had caused any damage.

" Let's see...ask for her cooperation, show her the clues at the crime scenes, then, finally, meet at the final soon-to-be crime scene so I could commit suicide. Where had the kiss foiled the plan? If she somehow developed feelings towards me, though she denies and shows no signs of having any, she could try to get to know me better. The more she gets to know you, the more she'll know how you think. And if that if that happens, she might discover that I was behind this series of murders a moment to soon. And if that happens..." He droned on and on about all the possibilities, letting paranoia took him. After talking to himself for almost half an hour, he relized that he was forgetting the most recent murder. " Dammit! Now I have to deal with her, too?" he asked himself. " Honestly, how much more shit do I have to put up with before I die?"

He went to the bathroom to wash the strawberry jam off his hand, suddenly not feeling in the mood for it, when he saw a note taped to the mirror. He hastilly wiped his hands on a towell and grabbed the note. It was written in a neat curseve; definately the writing of a female. The _other_ murderer, no doubt. He groaned and read the letter impatiently.

Dear Killer,

Beyond chuckled at the first two words. Dear Killer. That was something new. He continued reading.

I relize that this may come as an inconvience to you, but I'd like to see you. It's been awhile since we've last seen eachother, don't you think? We were still children back then; me, a mere toddler. What do you look like now, I wonder. But back to the point. You do know that parking garage downtown, yes? The one that was closed down because of a shooting that took place there. People seem to say that it is haunted, for many innocent people have died there. I have been there recently, and can confirm there not to be any signs of paranormal activities. But since the silly people believe that lost souls roam there, it was closed. Would you like to meet me there? I would be ever so happy if you would. You might want to come prepared, though. I'm going to kill you there.

Beyond stared at the letter with disbelief. " Kill me, are you?" he said. " Are you proposing a challenge?" Then he laughed. " If so, then I accept. See if you could kill me..." He looked at the signature at the bottom, written in a shade of deep crimson; blood. "...Scythe."

Looking at the window above, the girl, Scythe, smiled to herself. " So I shall," she said softly, smiling.


	10. Chapter 9

_Alright_, Naomi thought to herself the day she was supposed to meet Beyond again. _If he mentions anything, change the subject without making it seem obvious. If he insists on discussing it still, tell him straight out that you don't return his feelings. Although, that might not be true...No_, she reminded herself strictly. _You know it can't be true. But what if you're indenial...? Naomi, you're doing it again. Just stick with the fact that you don't love Rue Ryuzaki, alright? Alright..._

Her phone rang. " Hello?" she said into it. " Misora." It was Beyond. " I need to talk to you." Naomi rubbed the back of her neck. " Ryuzaki, listen, if this is about yesterday-"

" It's not," he inturuppted. Naomi stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. " You see," he started, " your cooperation is no longer needed in the case that I have brought up." Naomi blinked, suprised. " But I thought you needed my help," she said. " And besides, I barely did anything to help you. I only taught you caeporia and gave you my opinions on the case. What could possibly be wrong that's stopping me from doing something useful for this case?" Beyond hesitated. " What you don't get, Misora, is that this case will soon come to a close," he explained slowly. " You mean that the murderer was caught?" Naomi asked. Another pause. " Weeell..." Beyond said, stretching the word, " let's just say that someone will soon bring her to justice."

Naomi sat on the couch. " Ryuzaki, there's something you're not telling me," she accused. " Misora, hear me out," Beyond said. " The murderer has made a deal with...ah...one of my fellow commrades. Now, he's a very convincing man. He could convince anyone to do anything. Surely he can convince the murderer to stop her ways and submit to the police." Naomi shook her head. " Ryuzaki, I suggest you tell your 'friend' to avoid direct contact with the serial killer," she advised. " You yourself said that she was dangerous. Who knows what damage she would do to him?"

Beyond sighed. " Misora, you're making this rather difficult," he said. " My 'friend' isn't as ignorant as to come unarmed and without a plan. Trust me; he knows what he's doing." Naomi ran her hand through her hair. " Ryuzaki, I still disagree. You're putting your 'friend's' life in danger. This is not worth the risk. There must be some rational way to deal with this..."

" Misora, listen to me," Beyond said brusquely. " This is the only way out of this. This 'rational way' that you're thinking of does not exist. My friend knows very well of the danger he's putting himself in, but he's determined to do whatever he can to put a stop to these killings. Do you understand?" Naomi was suprised at the suddon firmness in Beyond's voice. She didn't know what to say; she knew very well that this "friend" they've been talking about was Beyond all along. Of course she wanted to stop him. What he was planning to do was suicidal. What chance did a lanky man like Beyond stand against a serial killer who'd cause great slaughter in the past? If this murderer has been killing for years, she must have immaculated every crime scene. And if something were to happen to Beyond? How was she going to solve _his_ murder case?

Although, albiet the insanity within the idea, Beyond seemed sure of himself. Surely she could trust him, couldn't she? What did she know about him, anyways? He had said before that he was alot stronger than he looked. In other words, he was more capable of things Naomi would have never guessed he was able to do. Unwillingly, Naomi gave in. " Fine. Alright. You win," she said. Beyond let out a sigh of relief. " Thank you, Misora," he thanked with genuine gratitude. Naomi nodded, though she knew he couldn't see. " You're welcome," she said.

Beyond was about to hang up when Naomi said suddenly," Ryuzaki?" Beyond stopped his thumb from hitting the button that would've ended the call. " Yes?" he said. " ...Ryuzaki," she repeated. " Be careful, and good luck." Naomi waited for a response. "...Yes," Beyond said. " I will. Thank you." He hung up and looked out the window. " Naomi Misora...You have nothing to worry about. I'll win this fight."

Walking up and down the empty parking spaces, Scythe whistled a tune to herself. It was meant to be a happy tune, but considering the atmosphere, it seemed threatening. She was wearing a black sailor-like school uniform with a red tie, one that she had gotten on a trip to Japan a year previously. Even though the outfit seemed somewhat revealing (though not that much), she still had plenty of weapons on her. Plus, she was wearing a red Jansport backpack with her favorite weapon in it. On one of the zippers, her pocket knife was hanging like a keychain. _Where is he?_ she asked herself. _I thought I told him to meet me here. _

She heard footsteps from behind her and turned. There was the recently famous serial killer here in Los Angeles. She smiled. The smile would have seemed cute for someone who didn't know better. Beyond wasn't decieved by her innocent looks. " Alright, I'm here," Beyond said. Scythe giggled. " As if it weren't obvious already," she said. Beyond sighed. Scythe skipped over to him to look at him more closely. " My, have you grown!" she said as though she were an aunt who's just seen her nephew after such a long period of time. " You look different from what I remember. It's the hair, isn't it? It's more messier and spikey. And since when did you have bags under your eyes? Or is it eye liner? Dear lord, you turned emo, didn't you?"

" That's enough!" Beyond said. " I didn't come all the way over here to discuss my appearance or any lifestyle that I might have chosen." Scythe pouted and swung her arms by her sides. " I was just pointing out the fact that you've changed. And you pick such a plane outfit as well," she said, looking disapprovingly at Beyond's pair of jeans and black long sleeved shirt. " Oh!" she said suddenly. " I still don't know your name anymore! You changed it, correct? It's so hard to see what's above your head."

" My name is now Beyond Birthday," Beyond answered, not suprised by her comment of not being able to see his name. He couldn't see her's either, nor could he see her lifespan. Scythe chuckled. " Beyond Birthday? What kind of name is that?" she asked. Beyond groaned. " Scythe, I suggest we get this over with now. I've been occupied with other things lately, and I plan to continue working on them as soon as I finish you off." This statement only made Scythe laugh. " Oh, I see," she said, taking out a machete from her backpack. Beyond got his weapon ready as well.

" You know, Beyond Birthday," Scythe started, swinging the machete in her hand playfully, " I really like your innitials. B.B." Beyond stared at her. " Yeah, so what?" he asked impatiently. She shrugged. " It's just that B.B. could stand for alot of things," she stated. " Like alot of sports for examle. There's Basket Ball and base ball. Plus, there's Blue Berry, Black Berry, Bumble Bee..." Beyond furrowed his eyebrows. " Are you trying to say something?" he asked. Scythe nodded. " Yupp! You see, there are these two words that describe what you are to me. Or, at least, until you stopped showing that you cared."

Beyond folded his arms against his chest, knife still in his hand. " And that would be...?" he asked. She smiled. " Why, Big Brother, of course."


	11. Chapter 10

"What did you just call me?"

Scythe's glare turned cold, all of her joy-filled features gone. " I think you heard me the first time," she said. Beyond shook his head. " I stopped being your big brother ever since my..._our_ mother's death," he said. Scythe gritted her teeth. " You didn't seem to mind at all, Onii-Sama," she said. " Judging by your laughter, you were quite happy." Beyond shrugged. " It's not my fault that I get the suddon urge to laugh at the sight of blood," he answered nonchalantly. " Even my own mother's."

" You're sick, you know that?" Scythe spat. " And even after she died, when I was having that nervous breakdown, you still laughed! You laughed and laughed and laughed! You didn't give me the slightest bit of comfort, and I ended up killing that innocent police officer! You didn't even fight back the people who were trying to separate you from me! We wouldn't have even ended up in the same orphanage, and you didn't even attempt to do anything about it!" Beyond sighed. " Well maybe if you didn't have the IQ of that of the average human being, there would have been a chance we would have went to the same orphanage. As for your breakdown, you should have had enough control to handle it."

" I was five freakin years old and just witnessed my mother's bloody death!" Scythe retorted. Beyond shrugged again. " Well, honestly that's not my problem," he said. Scythe's grip tightened around the handle of the machete. " It's talk like that that's going to get you killed," she said. Beyond smirked. " Oh, is that so?" he asked tauntingly. Scythe smiled back. " 'Tis true, dear brother," she said, then charged towards him with her weapon at ready. Beyond was barely able to aviod getting his stomach sliced. He quickly took two steps back and almost tripped over his own feet.

Scythe smirked. " Quite clumsy, aren't we?" she examined. Beyond grunted and got out a meat cleaver that he had "borrowed" from Naomi's kitchen. He raised the cleaver over his head and brought it down with a strong impact. It would have chopped Scythe's head off clean, if only she weren't so quick on her feet. Beyond scoweled at her agility. Scythe giggled. " I haven't had this much fun in awhile!" she exclaimed and attempted to slice him again. Beyond avoided this as well. Scythe pouted. " Come on, Onii-Sama! Aren't you going to fight back?" she asked. Without responding, Beyond quickly got out a knife with his other hand and lunged it at her. Unfortunately, it missed. " I thought that this famous murderer that everyone's been talking about would actually be a challenge," she continued.

" Don't underestimate me," Beyond muttered under his breath, then threw his other knife at her. It struck into her shoulder with great impact. She winced and looked at the knife, suprised. Then she smiled and pulled it out. " So you're sticking to throwing weapons?" she asked, then grabbed a kunai from her sleeve. She threw it towards Beyond, causing his cheek to get cut. Beyond felt the blood drip onto his shirt. Smiling, Beyond wiped his cheek with his finger and examined it. " Interesting. It's been awhile since I've had blood drawn," he said, then ran at her with the meat cleaver again. Scythe held her machete in front of her face and blocked the cleaver from striking her. Beyond tried to add more force to his weapon so Scythe would at least slightly cut herself with her own weapon.

Instead of this happening, Scythe was able to swing her weapon, sending Beyond's cleaver flying across the garage. She chuckled and was about to strike him, but to her suprise, her weapon was kicked out of her hand. She stared as it spinned across the floor. She then looked at Beyond, who was smirking. " I told you not to underestimate me, didn't I?" he asked mockingly. Scythe sighed. " Yes, I suppose you're right," she admitted. Then, quickly, she got out another weapon from her backpack: a handgun.

Beyond froze. He had gone against knives, swords, even ninja stars on an occasion. But could he outrun a bullet? Highly unlikely. He tried to make his appearance seem calm. " A gun? Really. What, is this some sort of last resort?" he asked. Scythe pointed the gun in Beyond's direction with one hand. " You're forgetting the whole point of this, Big Brother. I didn't take out the gun because I'm swallowing my pride. Nor is it because I think you're too strong to beat with my usual choice of weapons. It is simply because I want you dead, and nothing more." And with that, she pulled the trigger.

The first shot went into Beyond's left shoulder. Beyond yelled and quickly placed his right hand on the wound. Scythe was able to keep a straight face, though she wanted oh so much to laugh. She shot again, this time into Beyond's leg, causing him to fall. Beyond felt tears rolling down his face and tried to stop them, though the pain was just too much. He wanted to flee or at least grab the knife that layed just out of reach to strike back, but it seemed impossible to move. Scythe slowly walked over to Beyond, smiling. " Poor Onii-Sama," she mused. " Don't worry, though. At least you'll die with family by your side." She crouched down so she would be at level with Beyond and held the gun against the middle of his chest. " Now, let's see if this bullet can fill up that big-ass hole you have where your heart's supposed to be."

Bang!

Scythe felt Beyond's body jolt, then slowly grow limp. Scythe smiled softly, got up, and started to walk away, leaving Beyond lying in his own blood. She began laughed to herself. " How much of an effort did that take?" she asked herself. " Not that much. Sigh, if only he were a better brother. Then maybe things wouldn't have had to be this way. We could have been happy siblings, supporting eachother through tough times. The way family is supposed to be like. Oh well. Sucks for him. It's too bad he had to d-"

A striking pain caused her to stop in mid-sentence. A knife was sent cleanly through her skull. Scythe's eyes widened and she collapsed, dead. From behind, Beyond tried weakly to get up. He didn't understand how he was still alive, nor could he understand how he had enough energy to move, let alone throw the knife. But none of that mattered at the moment. Scythe was finally dead. Beyond, filled with relief, took out a phone that he had in his pocket and started to call Naomi.

" Misora?" he said when the ringing had stopped. Naomi let out a huge sigh of relief. " Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. " ...Not exactly," Beyond answered. " First off, do try not to panic when I tell you this." Naomi hesistated. " Fine," she said finally. Beyond let out a deep breath. " Tell me; how experienced are you with healing gun wounds?"

" Oh my God, Ryuzaki, did you get shot?" Naomi asked. Beyond sighed. " Misora, I do believe I told you not to panic," he said. " Right," Naomi said. " Well, shouldn't we take you to the hospital?" Beyond shook his head. " Absolutely not," he said. Then, thinking it sounded too suspicious, he said, " I mean, you see, I don't trust doctors all that much. My father died in a hospital, you see. They bring back too many memories." It was believable enough. He waited as calmly as he could for a response. The pain was unbearable. " ...Alright. I've taken care of a few of the FBI agents who've been shot in previous missions. All I need to do is remove the bullet with a special instrument and apply a special medicine to it. Where were you shot?"

Beyond tried to remember, most of the previous events just a bit blurry. " My left shoulder, right leg, and my..." He didn't know if he should tell her that he was shot in the chest just yet. " Well, I just need you to help heal me, if you can. I'd appreciate it." Naomi made a sound of agreement. " Yes, of course. But can you even drive yourself to my place?" she asked. Beyond didn't answer at first. He thought of telling her where he was at, then saw the mess he had made. " I think I'll be able to manage," he answered. " Alright," Naomi said. " Oh, and Ryuzaki?"

" Yes?" Beyond said. " ...What happened to the murderer?" Naomi asked. Beyond stared at Scythe's corpse. " She is...taken care of," he said. " She will not commit any further crimes. That is for certain."

When he finished his conversation with Naomi, he half walked, half dragged himself out of the building. He turned to have one last glance at Scythe. Giving her a look that would have been one an artist would have given his newest painting to see if it was decent, he took the knife from her head. " I'll see you in hell one day, dear sister," he whispered. " I promise."


	12. Chapter 11

Naomi paced in her living room with her long black hair pulled back in a pony tail, waiting for Beyond. Where was he? Was he alright? From how he sounded in the phone call, he was severely injured. She could tell that he was trying to make his voice sound neutural, but she could hear the pain and strain in it. She wanted to somehow trace that call to find out where he was, though she didn't have the right equipment to do so. She was nervous, thinking of having to heal his wounds. It's true that she had healed gun wounds in the past. But every time she did she was worried that she would end up finishing the job the bullet was supposed to do.

There was a knock on the door. Naomi quickly went over and opened it. Beyond was leaning against the threashold, his clothes stained with blood. Naomi put a hand over her mouth. " My gosh, what happened?" she asked as she put one of Beyond's arms around her and led him into the house. " Well," he started, " I was...dealing with the...the murderer...and she...got... a little...carried away...with the gun..."

Naomi lied him down on one of the couches. " Can you tell me where you got shot again?" she asked. " My left...shoulder...right leg...and...my chest..." Beyond answered weakly. " Chest?" Naomi asked. She quickly walked over to the table she had her pair sterilized hemostats on. " Ryuzaki, I'm going to have to ask you if I could take off your shirt," she instructed hastily. Beyond nodded and let Naomi gently take it off, feeling pain as she did. Naomi examined at his chest. It was a bloody sight, the place where he was shot making her heart skip a beat. She let out a deep breath. " Alright. I need you to lay absolutley still," she told him, then got out a clean cloth and added pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Then she got her tool.

She hated doing this. It was like some sort of messed up real life Operation game. Take the bullet out and you win. Make one slight mistake and you lose, causing your patient to get hurt and/or die. She took short, quick breaths as she worked. She slowly used the hemostats to remove the bullet. Beyond flinched but tried his best to stay still. Once she got it out of his chest and shoulder, she applied alcohol to the wound. Now for one of the painful parts. She got out a small knife she had and cut the dead flesh from the wound. She quickly got the alcohol and placed it on the wound again. " Don't move," she whispered, and got up to get a small bowl full of cool water and what looked like a sewing kit.

She washed his wound with the water. After she did, she opened the kit. " Bare with me here, Ryuzaki," she said desperately, and got out a needle and thread. Beyond took one look at the needle and looked away, eyes closed. Naomi bit her lip as she sewed the wounds. Finally she was finished with the them. Now all that was left was the one in his leg. She got up and looked at Beyond awkwardly. He look at her back. " Is there a problem?" he asked. Naomi twiddled her thumbs. " Well, umm, all that's left is your leg," she said. Beyond nodded slowly. " Yes...?" he said. " Well," Naomi started," It's either you take off your pants or I cut part of it off. Which one is it?"

Beyond looked away. " Er...you can cut them if you find the other option uncomfortable," he murmered. Naomi nodded and went to her room to find a pair of scissors. When she found them, she went back to Beyond. She cut the part of the jeans with the most blood, carefully making sure she wouldn't accidentily cut Beyond as well. Finally, she was finished with everything. " Okay, Ryuzaki. You're all done," she finally announced and wrapped the wounds with bandages. Beyond let out a sigh. " Thank you, Misora," he said gratefully. She smiled and nodded.

She finished bandaging his chest wound and wiped her forhead with her arm. " You'll need to stay over for awhile, I'm afraid. In your condition, you shouldn't be traveling. I'm suprised you were even able to make it here," she said. " I guess I was just lucky," Beyond said. " Thank God," Naomi sighed. " You gonna be alright?" She looked at him with worry. Beyond nodded. " Yes," he said. " Misora, I don't know how I could repay you." Naomi shook her head. " You don't need to do anything," she said. " Are you sure?" Beyond asked, thinking that there must be at least _something_. " Yes, I am," Naomi replied. " Now get some rest. The faster you heal, the better." Beyond smiled and closed his eyes. Naomi slowly walked away, closed the curtains, and turned off the lights. " Get well soon, Rue," she whispered, then went to her room. When he heard her close the door, he replied softly, " I will, Naomi. Thank you."

The next morning, Naomi was preparing breakfast; eggs sunny-side up, hashbrowns, and bacon. Beyond slowly opened his eyes to the attractive smell. At first he was a little confused, then remembered that he was at Naomi's place after getting shot. He tried to sit up but felt immediate pain. Naomi looked up. " Oh, you're awake," she said. Beyond nodded. " Yeah," he said, feeling somewhat better than he had yesterday. " You should lay back down," Naomi advised. " It's alright," Beyond said, propping himself up against his elbows. Naomi shook her head and gave him his plate of breakfast. He thanked her and started picking at the hashbrowns.

" You okay?" Naomi asked after awhile. " Yes, thanks to you," he answered. " How many times are you gonna thank me?" Naomi asked. Beyond shrugged, causing him to wince. " Until all the pain has left, probably," he said. Naomi chuckled and walked towards the coffee table to get the remote control for the TV" You don't mind if I turn on the TV do you?" she asked. " It's your house, Misora," Beyond answered with his mouth full. Naomi smiled and turned the TV on. It was on the news.

" Late last night, two policemen were supposed to be investigating a certain crimescene. Instead, their bloodhounds led them to what seems to be a different one," the reporter was saying. " The bloodhound had directed them towards the parking garage that's said to be haunted. There, they found dry blood that seemed, at the time, to be about five hours old. Investigators have checked out the scene and found no evidence of fingerprints or human DNA. Is this really a crimescene? Or had the dog been attracted to some sort of lost soul that had been said to haunt the very same building?"

Naomi shook her head. " The things they put on the news these days," she said, then looked at Beyond, expecting to see him wearing a smirk. Instead, he just stared intently at the screen with a frightened gaze. " Ryuzaki? Is something wrong?" Naomi asked. Beyond stared down at his plate. " No, nothing at all," he said. Naomi stared at him for another few moments, then again turned her attention towards the TV. " Is there something you'd like to talk about?" she asked, still staring at the screen. " No," Beyond answered. Naomi sighed. " Alright then," she said. " Because, you know, I'll always be there for you if you need someone to talk to."

Beyond looked up at her, suprised. " Really?" he asked. Naomi nodded. " Of course. It should have been obvious. I mean, we've came to be good friends over the time we've known eachother," she responded. Beyond rubbed his wrists. " I don't know what to say..." he said. " I mean, growing up as an orphan, I always felt as though I were alone." Naomi stared at him. " What do you mean?" she asked. Beyond sighed. " It's just that...I thought that God hated me," he responded, carefully choosing his words. " Everyone that I either cared or should have cared about died. My father was murdered by a thug, my mother killed in a train accident, even my best friend commited suicide by hanging himself. I had no one."

" Ryuzaki..." Naomi didn't know what to say. " I'm sorry," Beyond said suddenly. " I was just lost in thought. I don't need someone to pity me." Naomi frowned. " It's a little hard not to," she said. " Have you ever told anyone else about your...difficult childhood?" Beyond shook his head. " No. I try not to let anyone know about my past," he replied. Naomi stared at him, then noticed the cut on his cheek. " Oh, let me get a bandage for that," she said, then got up to fetch a box of Band-Aids from the bathroom. When she came back, she carefully placed one on Beyond's cut. " There," she said. " Misora, you didn't have to," Beyond said. " It's just a scratch, after all."

" Yes, I know," Naomi said. " It's just that, well, seeing you with scars...It...It scares me." She started brushing the bandage with her thumb. " Misora..." Beyond whispered, then softly grabbed her hand. They steadied their gazes on eachother, then started to kiss. It was cut short, though, when Beyond gasped in pain because of his wounds. Naomi blushed. " Sorry," she whispered. Beyond nodded, then stared at her again. " What about that?" he asked quietly. " That's our second kiss. Does this mean something?"

Naomi hesitated. " I don't know," she said. " Maybe...Maybe it means that my feelings for you were stronger than expected..." She saw Beyond smile a little. " Perhaps," he said. She smiled back. " What about you?" she asked. Beyond shook his head. " No matter how many times I try to deny it, it keeps on coming back. I think I...I think I love you," he answered, slightly embaressed. Naomi felt heat rising to her cheeks. " I...I love you, too," she said, then gave him another soft kiss which he gladly accepted.

And if the story had ended here, it would have been the ideal ending for both of them. Unfortuantely, as we all know, not every story ends with a "happily ever after".


	13. Chapter 12

August 23rd, 2002

" Hurry it up, convict."

A police officer was shoving one of the prisoners, who's hands were cuffed behind his back, so he could walk faster. " I said hurry it up!" the policeman repeated. " I heard you the first time, officer," his prisoner responded calmly. The policeman grunted and opened the door to a small room with a table and two chairs, which were connected to the floor. Another officer was waiting for them there. " Here's the guy you asked for," the policeman behind the prisoner said. The other man nodded and sent him off. " I'm going to have to ask you to sit down," the officer said. He was much more patient than the other policeman. The prisoner did as told. The officer spoke into his walkie talkie. " Beyond Birthday is now in the room. Please send in any interrigators."

He put it away and crouched down so he could attach one end of a handcuff to Beyond's ankle and the other end to the leg of the chair. He then unlocked the handcuffs on Beyond's wrists. " Now, Beyond, some people are gonna ask you some questions. Will you try your best to answer them honestly?" he asked. Beyond rolled his eyes. " Must you speak to me as though I were a child?" he asked, annoyed. The officer sighed and left the room. " You can go in," he said to someone Beyond couldn't see. He tilted his head so he could see who it was, then immediately looked away. Naomi Misora entered the room and sat on the seat opposite of him.

" Hello, Ryuza- Beyond Birthday," she greeted bitterly. " Misora," he responded. " May I ask what you are doing here?" Naomi brushed some hair out of her eyes. " To get some answers, of course," she replied. " First off, when did you plan all of this?" Beyond pondered for a moment. " Well, it's hard to say. Next question," he said. " Not until you give me an answer," Naomi insisted. Beyond smirked. " I have none," he said. " Unless you want to stay here all day thinking that I'll give you an answer, I suggest you move on to the next question." Naomi sighed. " Fine. What drove you into doing this? Murdering, I mean," she asked.

Beyond chuckled. " Ah, now that one I could definately answer," he said. " You see, when my best friend hung himself, this other man pressured him to do it. I told that man that I would do anything it took to show him that he would pay for that. Of course, I myself got carried away with killing. It's quite fun, actually." Naomi scowelled. " And who is this man?" she asked. " Kya ha, why the great L, of course," Beyond laughed. Naomi took in a deep breath. " I highly doubt that L was the cause of your friend's death," she said. Beyond shrugged. " You know, Misora, I never asked for your opinion, now, did I?" he asked. " Next question."

" Fine. What did you feel when you killed your victems? Any pity? Sorrow?" Naomi asked. Beyond laughed again. " Oh no, none of that," he answered. " Killing is a sort of hobby. I don't feel any regret when I hear their screams. I feel excitement. I feel blood lust. I feel joy and happiness. No sorrow." Naomi gave him a look of pure disgust. " How on earth can you feel that way after taking the lives of innocent people?" she asked. Beyond grinned. " That's just how my mind works," he said. Naomi sighed. " Alright then. I just have one final question to ask you, if you don't mind."

" Ask away, then."

" ...All that had happened between us, like that kiss...did you truely mean it?"

" ..."

The sarcastic, cocky Beyond Birthday was now gone and replaced by a more solemn, sentimental one. " Well?" Naomi asked. Beyond shifted uncomfortably in his seat. " It rather depends," he said. " On what?" Naomi said. " On what you want to hear," Beyond replied. Naomi crossed her arms. " The truth, of course," she said. Beyond stared at the floor. " ...No comment."

" What do you mean 'no comment'?" Naomi demanded. " Just that," Beyond responded softly. " I refuse to answer that question. I'm sorry, Misora." Naomi got out of her seat. " If that's the way it's going to be, then fine," she said, then walked over to the door. Before she exited, she said, " Oh, and there's someone else who wants to see you." And with that, she left. Beyond groaned and put his face in his hands. " Why can't they just throw me in a cell already?"

" Hello, B."

Beyond looked up immediately. " L?" he said, baffled. L nodded and sat in the chair, hugging his knees. " It's been awhile," he said. Beyond nodded. " So what brings you here, Lawli?" he asked. L took out a small bag of gummy bears from his pocket. " To see you, of course," he replied, popping some of the gummies into his mouth. " Oh, I'm honored," Beyond said sarcastically. L frowned. " You know, B, this case as been the most difficult one by far," he said. Beyond sighed. " Difficult, maybe, but not impossible to solve," he said. " Therefore, I have failed."

" Quite the opposite, actually," L said. " If it hadn't been for , then I would have never been able to solve it." Beyond groaned. " Oh, that makes me feel so much better," he said. L studdied him carefully. " B, you act as though you hate Misora, but there's something else to it, isn't there?" Beyond looked up. " What do you mean?" he asked. " Don't play ignorant, B," L said. " You have feelings for her, don't you?"

"...Yes," Beyond unwillingly addmitted. " And you've told her how you felt?" L asked. Beyond nodded. L bit his thumbnail. " Then why does she hate you so?" he asked. Beyond sighed. " You see, I never wanted to fall in love with her," he explained. " I knew that if I did, she would never forgive me after I'd leave." L ate another one of the gummy bears. " And did you explain all of this to her?"

" L, I'm going to be sentenced to a life in prison for first degree murder and you're discussing my love life with me?" Beyond asked. L pursed his lips. " Just curious," he murmered. " Oh, and there was something else I wanted to ask you." Beyond sighed. " What is it?"

L swallowed the candy. " There was another murder case earlier this month, and I wanted to know if you were invovled," he said. " I never commited any of those murders," Beyond answered straight out. " Do you know who did?" L asked. Beyond arched an eyebrow. " Why are you so curious all of a suddon?" he asked. L sighed. " You know, Beyond, your refusing to answer this question is basically a confession that you do know who it is," he said. Beyond rolled his eyes. " Fine. You caught me. I know who murdered them. But it's not like it matters; the murderer's dead now anyways," he said. L nodded. Then, hesitantly, he asked, " You do know that this might be the last time we'll ever see eachother, don't you?"

Beyond frowned. " I'm well aware of it," he replied. " Which reminds me; do you think you could do me a favor?" L looked up. " What is it?" he asked. " Well," Beyond started, " Misora carries an ID with true information and shows it freely to people, not knowing what danger that might cause her to be in. Do you think..."

" That I could have a fake ID made for her?" L finished. Beyond nodded. " I suppose I can have that done. What should her name be on the card?" L asked. Beyond thought for a moment. " Shoko Maki," he answered. L nodded. " Alright." Then he looked at the clock. " I think it is time for us to say our final farewells," he said sadly. " Goodbye, B."

" Good riddens, Lawli," Beyond said. " I hope this teaches you how to treat your successors in the future." L nodded. " Yes..." he mumbled sadly, then left. That was the last time Beyond saw Naomi Misora or L ever again.

_" And a few years after his arrest, on January 21, 2004, serving a life sentence in a California prison, Beyond Birthday died of a mysterious heart attack."_


End file.
